Tuesdays With TED: Inspiration

I want to be inspired continuously.  Reality check: That’s not possible. Sometimes we have to just get it done, inspiration be damned. But, I don’t want to just go through the motions for most of my life.  I seek out inspiration for motivation and to see the world from different points of view.

Here’s a story that inspired me recently: William Kamkwamba, from Malawi, Africa was a 14 year old drop out.  He went to his library and built a windmill out of junkyard scraps to create electricity for his home.  William’s windmill impacts and benefits his whole village.  Watch Moving Windmills (a six minute documentary) of his story.

William had a lot working against him: he was 14 years old, uneducated and had no money.  But his resiliency, determination, and character allowing him to beat the odds are inspirational.

I first heard about William at ted.com. I invite you to join the UCSB TED: Two for Tuesday’s group.  We meet the second Tuesday of every month in Career Center #1109 at lunch (12-1) to watch two TED talks and share our reactions.  UCSB Ted was created by Associate Director of Career Services, Dr. Don Lubach, and Career Counselor, Ignacio Gallardo.  Their goal was to bring together students, faculty and staff to be inspired.  We hope you will join us.

There are many things, events and people who inspire us. Do us all a favor: when you discover your inspiration, share it. We all want to be inspired.

Health Q&A of the week:

1. Do mushrooms count as vegetables for the day?

Sort of, but not really… They are neither fruit nor vegetable.  They are fungi, more specifically, they are the fruit of the fungus. They share some of the benefits of fruits & veggies:

• Low in calories
• Fat free
• Sodium free
• Contains B vitamins (not found in produce)
• Contains minerals: potassium, phosphorus, zinc & copper

So, while they are not categorized as a fruit or vegetable, as a nutrient, they provide many of the same benefits. Bottom line: If you like them, feel free to count them as a veggie in your balanced, sensibly portioned, and diverse daily diet.